Field of Invention
This invention relates to mobile payment, more particularly to implementing mobile payment process with multiple options.
Description of Prior Art
Mobile payment by smartphones and potentially other mobile devices such as smart watches represents a growing trend, although payments with credit card, debit card, check, and cash are still dominant in stores these days. In fact, some merchants may be reluctant to create a mobile payment system because of cost concerns. For instance, both near-field communication (NFC) and quick response (QR) code are popular mobile payment methods. But both would require new hardware and software upgrade for point of sale (POS) systems. The expense may be viewed as extra and unnecessary by retail business, especially small retailers. Demand for mobile payment is another factor that influences a merchant's decision, which, however, is still relatively low right now. If the demand could justify investment, merchants may want to accommodate it. The demand, on the other hand, is related to the availability of mobile payment at stores. If more merchants accept mobile payment, users may be more likely to develop a habit to use it. Thus, whether merchants are willing to add new technology at stores is the key in the emerging proliferation of mobile payment.
Therefore, there exists a need for a mobile payment method which is affordable for merchants and relies upon current POS systems at stores.